Pinecrest elects village's first mayor

Evelyn Greer, the person most responsible for the incorporation of Pinecrest, was elected the village’s first mayor on Tuesday.

There were no outright winners in the four races for seats on the Village Council. The runoffs will be April 30.

Greer easily defeated fellow attorneys Henry Hunnefeld and Stuart Koenigsberg, receiving more than 64 percent of the vote.

The turnout was lower than expected, with less than 37 percent of the area’s registered voters participating.

Greer will serve a four-year term beginning next Wednesday.

Homemaker Veronica Matzner will face attorney Barry Blaxberg in the District 1 runoff, beating out Natalie Scharf Lemos and Brian Piper.

Retailer Cindie Blanck and accountant Robert Glowacki advanced from District 2, while Lawrence Ashe, Lourdes Fanjul and Sania Rosenblatt were eliminated.

In District 3, former state senator Richard Renick will meet Lottery winner Leslie Bowe. Mark Fine and James Wallace trailed.

Realtor Hazel Goldman and attorney Robert Hingston emerged from the six-candidate District 4 race. Hope Marcus, Jean Marie Gasbarro, Dorothy Jackson and Amar Sawhney were ousted.

Greer began the village’s drive to incorporation with the help of Charter Commission member Gary Matzner about 2 1/2 years ago.

“The first thing we’re going to do is bring everyone in Pinecrest together,” Greer said Tuesday night at Palmetto Middle School. “Now it’s time to get down to the nitty gritty of government, find a village manager and create a police department.”

The winners of next Tuesday’s runoffs in Districts 1 and 3 will serve four-year terms. In order to stagger terms, winners in Districts 2 and 4 will serve two years. The terms there will expand to four years for subsequent elections.

Documentary Elements

Pullquote: “The first thing we’re going to do is bring everyone in Pinecrest together.”

Attribution: EVELYN GREER, new mayor.

Portrait caption: Greer. No photographer credit printed within the report.